We All Fall Down
by Frostimyst
Summary: Papyrus thought all seemed well on the surface when New Home was constructed and monsters began to integrate into human civilization. That was, until monsters mysteriously began to 'fall down' en masse. At first it was brushed off as a coincidence as occasionally the same would occur in the Underground… until one of their heroes joined the afflicted.
1. Chapter 1: Friendship and Murder

Chapter 1 – Friendship and Murder

*Please note that this story is a sequel to my previous fic Time Works Both Ways, it would be best to start there if you are a new reader! If you don't, aspects of the story may not make sense to you!

* * *

…It was three months ago that the monsters acquired the final soul to breach the barrier. Three whole months ago, New Home was first constructed. The monsters met the humans in peaceful negotiation, bartering for citizenship and rights to which they were granted. It seemed that things were taking a turn for the better when monsters began to integrate into human society. Programs were put in place for humans and monsters to meet and understand one another. Though despite their efforts, humans and monsters would remain independent… the latter mostly remaining in New Home where we felt the safest. Unfortunately, no social program or policy would erase the cultural differences that existed between the two groups. Regardless, humans and monsters remained peaceful and though one may never understand the other, they were content to leave each other be.

And I, The Great Papyrus, found my place in new home by helped my friend Undyne manage the monsters post Underground! There were always plenty of jobs that needed to be done; as being Protector of the Hero of the Underground (or PHU for short) was not a full time job… and I may have still secretly wanted to be part of the Royal Guard. Regardless, when my friend Undyne called, I would not hesitate to answer. Speaking of Undyne, she had branched out from just being the Head of the Royal Guard! Now, she was as humans called: Secretary of Defense of Monsters! With the title, however, came a lot more work as she attempted to protect the monster rights and had much less time to settle the smaller issues. That was where I came in! At least, when my brother Sans didn't require my presence.

* * *

I had been preparing spaghetti in our kitchen when my cellphone began to ring. And, being the upstanding monster I was, I answered it within the first two rings. "HELLO! YOU HAVE REACHED THE GREAT PAPYRUS!" I greeted cheerfully, unable to resist the smile that spread across my face. Perhaps this time, she would be calling with good news! "Papyrus? Yeah it's Undyne, there's another monster down. They're in Bunny Family Grocer; can you bring them to Alphys'?" I couldn't help as the corners of my smile drooped at the request. It wasn't good news after all. "I WILL BE THERE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, BUT UNDY-" She hung up on me before I could finish. With how hard Undyne was working, I was worried that she was neglecting her health. Unfortunately, she never gave me the chance to help. Though I was hardly the monster to speak given how things had been going in my own household.

"SANS! I'M GOING OUT!" I called into the house as I turned off the stove. As expected, there was no response as I walked out the door toward the grocer. Picking up fallen monsters had been a sad job that I didn't want to, but had to get used to. It was after the first month post-underground that everything had started to go wrong.

Monsters… had begun to fall down. This wasn't terribly unusual as the same thing would occur in the Underground. 'Falling down' didn't discriminate; it would be the young, the old… the healthy, the ill… The monster could've been perfectly healthy and normal one day, and suddenly unresponsive the next. It wasn't a concern to the monsters of New Home...until monsters started to fall down more rapidly. They just… never woke up. Alphys described 'falling down' as 'the death of the mind, when the body and soul lived on' and the closest we had come to understanding it was when Alphys collected bodies to find a cure.

But a cure never came; and all she had was amalgamations to show. Fortunately, those amalgamations had finally been returned to their families. It had taken a lot of courage, but Alphys finally told everyone the truth about the experiments. She had been afraid, but was startled when the monsters were nothing but overjoyed and welcoming at the return of family members they had thought were gone forever. Though… that would never be the solution that monsterkind was looking for in regards to the falling monsters.

* * *

I pushed open the door to the grocer, a small bell tinkling at the movement. A crowd of monsters turned at my entry, presumably around the fallen monster. "FRIENDS! PAPYRUS IS HERE TO HELP! TELL ME, WHERE IS THE FALLEN MONSTER?" I asked, walking through the crowd that had parted for me. I couldn't help the emotion that squeezed my heart as I saw the young rabbit daughter crying over her fallen mother. "I-It's my m-mom… please help her…" She sniffed, pulling back from her mother when I approached. Putting on the brightest smile I could muster, I crouched before the distraught child. "DO NOT WORRY, TINY RABBIT! ALPHYS WILL GIVE YOUR MOTHER THE BEST CARE POSSIBLE!" Reaching out, I ruffled the fur on top of her head with a gloved hand before gently picking up the fallen monster. Turning to leave, I stopped when I felt a tugging on my scarf. "Mr. Papyrus…W-When will she be better?" The young girl asked, eyes widening and tears in her eyes as she looked up at me hopefully.

This was the part I hated the most, because the truth was that she may never recover. "THE GREAT PAPYRUS DOES NOT KNOW HOW SOON SHE MIGHT RECOVER… BUT ALPHYS IS WORKING TIRELESSLY ON A CURE AS WE SPEAK!" I admitted, desperately keeping the smile plastered on my face. I felt that squeezing feeling again as her countenance gradually saddened, giving a small nod before she walked into the back room. There were murmurs around me and I could feel their stares… "PERHAPS IT IS BEST IF YOU ALL RETURN HOME!" At the words, they began to gradually file out… but I could see it in their glances as they passed. 'She's not getting better is she?' 'Poor girl… what will they do without their mother?'

…I waited a couple minutes for the monsters to clear before I walked out the door toward Alphys new and improved lab. As I looked down at the fallen monster in my arms, I couldn't help but notice her youth. She was a strong lady who had gotten married early; and before we knew it there was a litter of rabbits. She worked tirelessly for her children and they were her entire world. I couldn't even imagine the impact this would have on their family; as her husband was a business man who had expanded his horizons into the human market when the barrier broke leaving her to raise the children independently. Many monsters had been busybodies, eager to meet and live among the humans and did so as soon as they could. I… could only assume that Undyne had given notice to their father and he would return to watch over them. But regardless, the monsters were a kind group and would likely look after the children in his stead if he couldn't return quickly.

* * *

I would never get used to the door that opened for me at the entrance to Alphys' lab. She claimed it was new technology, as much of her lab was, but there was something familiar about a simple doorknob. "ALPHYS! I HAVE ANOTHER MONSTER!" I called into the building which bustled with monsters; both staff assisting Alphys and family members of the afflicted. Human hospitals had refused to serve monsters due to their lack of understanding on how to treat them so Alphys had her lab transformed into a makeshift hospital once the monsters started falling down en masse. "P-Papyrus? Over h-here, please." I saw Alphys wave to me from the end of one of the fallen wards and I followed her into a room divided by curtains. "Put her down h-here… okay?" She gestured to a bed with hastily prepared covers. "HAVE ANY OF THE MONSTERS GOTTEN BETTER YET?" I asked hopefully as I set the lady down; Alphys moving in quickly to hook her up to monitors. As expected, a thin green line ran across the monitor. Though we didn't need a monitor to tell us; as her soul felt present…but empty.

With a sigh, Alphys turned to walk out of the room. "No…" She finally answered. I couldn't help but be disheartened by her answer when I saw the families of the monsters so hopeful that their loved ones would recover. "IT'S OKAY! THE GREAT PAPYRUS BELIEVES IN YOU. DON'T GIVE UP!" I told her, putting an encouraging hand on her shoulder. A half-hearted smile spread across her face. "T-Thanks…" She whispered before she left. Alphys was another monster who tended to overwork herself; striving desperately to live up to everybody's expectations, never satisfied with the work she had already done. Much like Undyne, there was nothing I could do and so instead I remained positive, attempting to spread my optimism as best I could to my friends... because that was the little that I COULD do to help.

Spreading positivity was a job that never ended and I had another location in mind where I would benefit from doing so. So I headed out toward the Underground. Since not every monster wished to leave right away for New Home, two entryways were created from the Underground to allow for easy exit and entry. One of which was where the barrier shattered: Asgore's throne room. The other… was a ladder into the ruins; the entryway in which I was headed. The monster that needed cheering up… well, wasn't actually a monster. It was about a month post-underground that I discovered an odd golden flower in the Ruins…

* * *

When I reached the bottom of the ladder, I heard a voice. "Hey! Watch where you're stepping, imbecile!" Scanning the area, I couldn't tell who the voice belonged to. "WHO'S THERE? YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE AFRAID OF THE GREAT PAPYRUS!" I called out, walking toward the bed of golden flowers. That was when I saw it. "Afraid of you? Please." A golden flower with a face explained sarcastically, rolling its eyes. There was something unsettling about the flower, but I couldn't help my curiosity as I crouched down beside it. "OF COURSE NOT! WHAT'S YOUR NAME? MINE'S PAPYRUS!" I greeted, extending a gloved hand which it eyed with disgust. "Go away. I don't want to be friends." The flower glared. I hadn't thought a flower could glare until that moment… this was definitely a flower that NEEDED a friend. "GO AWAY IS A FUNNY NAME! NYEH HEH HEH!" I laughed cheerfully as the flower scrunched up its face in distaste.

"…It's Flowey. Now leave." The flower popped into the ground, only to sprout up on the other side of the flower bed. "I THINK WE SHOULD BE FRIENDS. YOU SHOULD BE GLAD, THERE IS NO GREATER FRIEND THAN THE GREAT PAPYRUS!" Its face turned from one of annoyance to one of anger when I walked over to where it had sprouted. " **I TOLD YOU TO LEAVE."** Its face turned malicious and in surprise, I fell backwards onto my pelvic bones…but that soon changed when it sneezed, sending pollen my direction. "YOU ARE A FUNNY FLOWER!" I exclaimed with a bright smile, to which the flower looked scornfully in my direction once again. For a split second it almost looked smug as it descended into the ground, this time not to re-emerge. "BYE, FLOWEY! I WILL RETURN LATER!" I waved though I knew the flower couldn't see me. I knew that I would come again, as there was a shred of good in any creature and I just had to find it.

* * *

Unfortunately I had been unable to return to visit Flowey since that day. Today, I decided, would be that day. This time when I reached the bottom of the ladder, there was no snarky voice telling me to leave. Instead, I saw Flowey by the patch of golden flowers, almost wilted in appearance. "FLOWER FRIEND? ARE YOU OKAY?" I sprinted over worriedly, to which the flower didn't respond. Tentatively, I reached out and gently prodded the flower. After a pause it turned to look at me, sadness in its expression which I hadn't seen before. "Did the monsters… really kill Chara?"It asked sadly, to which I was taken aback. Did the flower mean the human child? In that case… "IF YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT THE HUMAN CHILD, THEN NO. THEY… DID SOMETHING COWARDLY." I explained curtly, though in truth we had probably killed the human many of times before they… took their life. In a way, it made us no better than them but… from what Sans said we didn't have a choice. Unfortunately for any human that came our way, I would always trust my brother over them. There was a pregnant pause before the flower vanished into the ground.

"FLOWEY? FLOWEY!" I shouted to no avail; the flower didn't return. "Greetings, Papyrus. Who is it you are talking to?" I heard a female voice ask curiously behind me. Standing up, I recognized Queen Toriel had been the one speaking. "OH, I WAS TALKING TO FLOWEY! HAVE YOU NOT SEEN MY FLOWER FRIEND?" I asked, confused as she seemed to ponder the question. Finally, she shook her head. "No, it has just been me and the Ruins monsters all this time. I have not seen a flower around here. I…hope that I did not scare them away; that wasn't my intent." She explained sadly, as though she took the flower's disappearance to heart. It made no sense to me that any creature could be afraid of Toriel. "IT COULDN'T HAVE BEEN YOUR FAULT, MA'AM! YOU'RE TOO NICE, AND SURELY THE FLOWER KNOWS THAT! IT WILL APPEAR AGAIN EVENTUALLY." I told her with a reassuring smile. She seemed cheered up by my words, a beautiful smile of her own gracing her face. "You are sweet, Papyrus. Would you like to come in for some tea and pie?" She offered graciously, to which I nodded. It may not have been spaghetti but… "THAT SOUNDS WONDERFUL, MS. TORIEL!"

* * *

…And before we knew it, we were in her kitchen drinking Golden Flower Tea and conversing over butterscotch-cinnamon pie. Toriel was an outstanding monster in her own right, and I was grateful that I discovered her when I came to visit the Ruins after the barrier broke. She had become a great friend in the short time I had known her. But as expected, she asked the question I least wanted to answer. "So how is your brother Sans doing?" My body betrayed me as I tensed immediately. Looking anywhere but at her, I considered my response. "HE'S BEEN...SLEEPING A LOT." I picked my words carefully, suddenly extremely interested in my tea.

Toriel had always been quite interested in my brother's well-being… though despite my insistence, neither monster would make the move to meet the other. But even so, I couldn't tell her the truth. I'd never been a good liar, and I knew that it would be as clear as day to the goat queen. "I see." To my relief, she pressed no further, but the atmosphere became awkward quickly as neither of us filled the silence. As much as I wanted to tell her, even to lift the burden slightly… well, I just couldn't. I was grateful when she began to clear the table of plates. "THANK YOU FOR THE TEA, MS. TORIEL! I WILL PASS ON YOUR BEST WISHES TO MY BROTHER." I bowed graciously to the motherly monster, my scarf flapping behind me with the action. "No, thank you Papyrus… Just one thing before you go. If you need anybody to talk to, I'll always be here." She explained with a just as motherly smile. I felt a familiar pang as I turned to leave. I… had to get home to my brother, I couldn't stay any longer.

* * *

It was getting dark by the time I made it to our new home in New Home. "I'M HOME, BROTHER!" I shouted before walking into the kitchen, not waiting for a response. I wouldn't get one anyway. "O-OH!" I exclaimed bashfully when I realized I'd left my half-finished pasta and spaghetti sauce on the stove. Oh well, they'd be good when I cooked them fully, right? I turned the dial on the stove before I headed back into the main part of the house. Pausing a moment at the TV, I turned it on before walking up the stairs.

I sighed as I reached Sans' room, not looking forward to the trial that awaited me. But there was no trial too great for the Great Papyrus, and it wasn't in my nature to leave things undone. "SANS! IT'S TIME TO GET UP!" I called as I knocked on the door, only to hear a muffled groan on the other side. It was going to be one of those days, I noted with a groan of my own. Turning the door knob, I turned on the light began my journey past the labyrinth of socks and miscellaneous goods strewn across Sans' floor. I'd always intended to clean it up… but with the way things were now, it was probably better to leave things the way they were. I wished I could go back to the days where my biggest concerns were nagging my brother about socks on the floor. "SANS! YOU CAN'T SLEEP ALL DAY!" I exclaimed, pulling the blanket off of the monster in question. "mfffgh." His response was muffled by pillow as he rolled away from me.

…Sans had been doing well for the first month post-Underground. But as soon as that first month ended, he had begun to decline rapidly. At first he was just exhausted. Then, he got up later despite my insistence. Normally, I would say that lazy Sans was the most comforting sight I'd see as I knew all was right in the world when Sans was… well, Sans. But then he stopped joking and I knew it was serious. He stopped going to Grillbys, stopped playing pranks, stopped eating… and finally, he stopped getting up at all. If I left him, he would probably sleep all day…if he even slept at all given he had been having nightmares ever since the barrier broke.

I still didn't know the reason for the change; I just… wanted my brother back. I'd done what research I could on the topic, even going as far as to visit a human library. All of his symptoms seemed to lead back to a severe depression. But I didn't know what could've caused it, as I thought that the worst was definitely behind us. At first he was finally opening up to me, telling me of some of the trials and horrors he had undergone in saving monsterking. But as soon as that month passed… he was gone, as if we'd made no progress at all.

And I… was struggling to pretend that everything was okay. I didn't talk to anybody about it; everybody had bigger things to deal with and I felt like I was bothering them. Undyne was busy adapting to the demands of her new position and monsters all over New Home and the human lands were falling down with no cure in sight. Alphys, on the other had was desperately trying to solve this dilemma with no cure in sight. And Toriel… well, she was still grieving. In comparison, my brother's issues with 'depression' were small. The last thing any of them needed was to see was my positivity fail, as it was probably just as much of a comfort to them as Sans being lazy was to me. Anyway, I could attract more bees with honey than with vinegar, as the human saying went. Not that I understood why one would WANT to attract bees.

Anyway, it was my job as both Sans' brother and PHU to help him work through it. But as time went on it was becoming hard not to think about how bad of a job I was doing at both. "BROTHER! IT'S SPAGHETTI AND MTT NIGHT! COME ON, IT WILL BE FUN! THE GREAT PAPYRUS, AFTER ALL, CREATES THE BEST FINE-FLAXEN SILKEN SPAGHETTI OF ALL TIME!" I explained encouragingly, as it was after all our assigned spaghetti and MTT night…though the assignment was mostly on my part as he had never actually agreed to it. "i don't feel up to it, paps." He finally answered, but I'd expected that kind of answer and the Great Papyrus does not take no for an answer. Steading myself, I prepared to unleash my ultimate-secret-brother convincing technique.

"PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE BROTHER!" I begged, desperate on both my own part and his. This wasn't healthy in the slightest. With a groan he finally rolled over to face me, trademark smile on his face. But I knew better; it was a smile that hid pain, and sorrow… a mask that he kept up no matter the circumstance. Such was the result of living through timelines of torture that nobody but him could remember. But his expression seemed to soften when he saw the hope on my own face. "okay, i give up. not even the hero of the underground can resist you, bro." I knew he hadn't meant it that way, but I couldn't help how my heart dropped when he mentioned giving up. At least my super-secret brother convincing technique hadn't failed. "EXC ELLENT! THEN UP WE GO!" I offered a hand which he took, standing up with and stretching. Pleased at my success, I took his jacket from the nearby table and tossed it to him. Grudgingly, he put it on.

"LET'S GO! ONWARDS TO THE LIVING ROOM!" Giving him no chance to respond, I grabbed his hand and led him down the stairs at a pace faster than he would appreciate. "woah, pap. give these old bones a rest." I couldn't help but smile at the joking tone in his voice. The evening was already looking to be a good one at this rate. "YOU WAIT HERE, BROTHER! I'LL GET THE SPAGHETTI READY." Helping him up, I paused when I heard what was on the TV…

"Good afternoon, humans and monsters. This is MTT news, brought to you by our sponsor, none other than everybody's favourite: Mettaton! Every evening and morning on MTT channel!" None other than a human reported from a set that looked suspiciously familiar to the old MTT set. "Now for our top story: Monsters are continuing to fall all over New Home. We have a reporter live on the scene; reporter, how is the clinic looking from your perspective?" She asked, as the screen shifted to a view of the lab, where I had been not hours earlier. Inside of it, the reporter (a vulkin) seemed to be chasing after Alphys as it weaved through various monsters to keep up. "Well, it seems really busy! None other than the Royal Scientist, Dr. Alphys is on the case. In fact, she's right here! Alphys! Would you like to tell the monsters how your work on the cure is progressing?" The vulkin with a microphone sticking out of its head shouted as it chased after a fearful looking Alphys retreating through the wards. "I-I'm doing my best. We're…really busy!" She exclaimed nervously, speeding up her pace to get away from the eager vulkin reporter. But before long, it stopped abruptly before a very pissed off looking Undyne. "Personnel only, punk!" She exclaimed with a wicked looking grin as a spear materialized in her hand.

The screen quickly panned back to the MTT set. "…and there you have it! In other news, Asgore is currently discussing countermeasures with the government on prevention of the 'falling' from spreading as human-monster contamination has not been confirmed. But as there have been a few reported cases of humans 'growing faint', the government feels the need for a concentrated response. As for weather, air quality continues to be poor around the Ebott area; those with lung conditions or immune disorders should stay indoors…" Quickly, I changed the channel to MTT cooking. The last thing Sans needed was to hear the negativity that was present on the news. "they're still falling, huh?" He asked, looking curiously up at me. "Y-YES! BUT ALPHYS HAS IT UNDER CONTROL, DON'T YOU WORRY BROTHER!" I stuttered before making my retreat into the kitchen to avoid having this conversation. "AND NO NAPPING!" I called over my shoulder as I grabbed a spoon to stir the over-boiling spaghetti.

So the humans were worried about the falling too… Were they going to block us in again? Make another barrier so that our people could never meet again? The idea brought me sadness as I enjoyed meeting the humans (even though the majority avoided New Home). It had only gotten worse since the monsters began to fall since the humans didn't want to fall either. But if they blocked us off… where would we drive? How would we go to the beach, or visit the great human library? I only hoped that Asgore would keep the worst from happening. There would be no peaceful way to break a second barrier… and we were lucky that the humans still didn't know how the first broke to begin with.

I drained the finally cooked spaghetti before plating and pouring the probably-overheated sauce over the noodles. Hopefully my brother would enjoy this batch as I put my heart and soul into its creation… even though I accidentally half cooked it and left it. While monsters didn't need to eat, it was certainly comforting to see my brother doing anything besides sleeping. I didn't even know if I was helping him…because he didn't seem to get any better as time went on. I was considering consulting human doctors for help but I was unsure if they would be able to help. Emotion and feeling in monsters are a lot more important to health than in humans and depression in monsters might be completely different. After all, all monsters are made of is kindness and magic. But if even my brother was made of kindness and magic, maybe there was a chance he'd just get better. After all, I'm more kindness than magic so I'd make the best monster to help!

"BROTHER! I PRESENT TO YOU MY ULTIMATE SPAGHETTI!" I declared as I entered the room, stopping short at the haunted expression on his face as he stared blankly at the TV. That distant look was all too familiar… and I recognized it as when he was reliving another timeline in his memory. "SANS!" I placed the spaghetti on the couch before gently shaking him. "oh… pap. sorry, bro." He apologized, orienting himself before fixing his gaze on the spaghetti. "i fettucini you've made some spaghetti." With a grin, he picked up the plate before examining it. Watching eagerly, I saw as he slowly raised a forkful of spaghetti to his mouth. "is this… ketchup sauce?" He asked after a moment of consideration. "WHY YES IT IS, BROTHER! I FIGURED YOU'D LIKE IT!" I exclaimed joyously as I took my place on the couch beside him. It was my best experiment yet; combining Sans' two favourite things: spaghetti and ketchup! Surely this would cheer him up!

...However as we watched Mettaton EX cook with glitter and an overwhelming amount of sugar, Sans only pushed his spaghetti around his plate after his initial taste. "DID I TELL YOU WHERE I WENT TODAY, BROTHER? I SAW THE FLOWER AGAIN, AND VISITED THE QUEEN IN THE UNDERGROUND! SHE SENDS HER BEST WISHES!" I explained, leaving out the part about the fallen monsters. At the mention of the flower he seemed to become concerned. "you should stay away from that flower, bro." He told me, although he'd told me the same the first time I mentioned it. I didn't know what the flower had done to worry my brother but… "BROTHER, IT NEEDS A FRIEND! IT WAS REALLY SAD TODAY." Seeing the flower today only doubled my resolve to befriend it. After all, even the most solitary creature needed a friend and there would be no better monster to do so than the Great Papyrus. It hadn't even done anything bad; it just acted in a not very nice way! But, taking a page from Sans' book, I was chilled to the bones by his next words: "that flower tried to kill us over a few timelines." Though it was left unsaid as my brother loved me too much to say it; the words still hung in the air: 'and we both know what happened last time you tried to befriend a murderer.'


	2. Chapter 2: Happiness Lost

Chapter 2 – Happiness Lost

* * *

… 'and we both know what happened last time you tried to befriend a murderer.' The words stung, and I was unable to hide the mask of surprise that stretched across my face. But… nobody had said anything, and Sans turned to me with confusion. "you okay, bro? you look pale… for a skeleton." He reached over to place a hand on my forehead. "U-UM… IT'S NOTHING, BROTHER! LOOK, METTATON IS MAKING SPAGHETTI!" I pointed overenthusiastically at the TV to divert his suspicion, which fortunately was successful as he withdrew his hand and leaned against the arm of the couch. Did I imagine that? My brother would never suggest such a thing, and I… well, I hoped I wasn't developing such dark thoughts. Perhaps it was my brother's negative influence, but he was the one who needed help. He didn't need to be worrying about me; he'd done enough of that for a lifetime.

Mettaton droned on as he dramatically posed before his finished dish of spaghetti. It definitely wasn't as good as the spaghetti that I'd made for Sans if the glitter on top was any indication. I was about to declare that exact point when I heard the light snores beside me. Sans had fallen asleep once again. Accepting the inevitable, I quietly turned off the TV and the lights before removing the barely touched spaghetti from where it'd been left. Carefully I transferred the spaghetti into a plastic container before adding it to my spaghetti museum (otherwise known as the fridge). Finally, I went upstairs and took a clean blanket from my closet before walking back to the living room to place it over my sleeping brother. As I was about to walk away to attend to some other chores, I was stopped by a hand around my wrist. Glancing behind me, I noticed Sans had, by all appearance, reached out to me in his sleep. Normally I wouldn't condone his oversleeping but… Carefully I settled down on the couch beside him, snuggling up against him as I pulled the blanket over us both. "GOOD NIGHT, SANS." Ever so slightly, his smile became relaxed as he slept.

* * *

"Alphys, you've been up for days." Undyne remarked behind me as a cracked open yet another human 'energy drink' before downing it in its entirety. I hardly needed her to remind me as my body did the same: a pounding headache and sore muscles getting the message across. In fact, I'd almost forgotten Undyne was here. "I know." I responded, crumpling my latest notes on the fallen monsters and tossing them into a trashcan by my workbench. With a sigh I gave in to my body's demands, my forehead hitting the table with a solid smack as I let exhaustion take over. I had a few minutes before my energy drink kicked in anyway. The dull throbbing in my head was almost a pleasant distraction from my body screaming at me for the mistreatment I had dealt it. I was beginning to wish that I could join the monsters who I was seeking to cure, letting someone else take up the torch.

"You know, they wouldn't want you to be hurting yourself like this." I heard her say as she gently wrapped her arms around my shoulders, resting her head on mine. I was slightly alarmed, as it was almost as if she'd read my mind. She was right, but I knew just as well as everybody: monsters wanted results, and the only one who could give them was me. As I adjusted my position to be more comfortable, I couldn't help the simple joy that rose up within me as I noticed the light from my desk lamp reflect off of the simple band on my finger.

Undyne and I had been friends as soon as we met when I was promoted to Royal Scientist. I could remember it as clear as day… she walked into the lab to introduce herself for the first time and was astounded by the anime I had been watching. Ashamed at being caught, I passed it off as 'watching human history'…and it all started from there. She came by time and time again to watch anime that she seemed to think was actual human history, went to the dump with me as I dug around for human artifacts that she had no interest in, and even called me about the weather despite there being no weather in the Underground. She made me feel like I was worth something when all I had was self-deprecation over my failures. Before I knew it, I had a massive crush on her… I drew her name in the margins of my pages, even wrote fanfiction of us living a domestic life together! ...Not that I would admit that to anybody.

…So understandably I was terrified when the barrier broke and the truth on a number of my lies would have to come to light. I thought she'd hate me when I told her that anime wasn't real. But she didn't, only laughed and told me she'd known the whole time… even though she really hadn't. Still, it made me happy that she had tried to make me feel better. And when I announced the results of my determination experiments, well, it was the most difficult thing I'd ever done in my life. The amalgamations were really sweet at heart but… they were really scary to look at; a real failure and I was a good judge of failure. I expected the worst; so I was shocked when the monsters welcomed the amalgamations with open arms, grateful for the return of their loved ones. And Undyne… told me I'd done the right thing, that she was proud of me.

But even as we grew closer with the time after the barrier broke, I'd never thought she'd ever return my feelings quite the same way. She even asked me out soon after, but I hadn't thought she was taking it seriously. So a month after the barrier broke, when she took me to a human Japanese sushi restaurant (which I'd always wanted to visit), and I discovered that she'd put a ring in our sushi… well, I passed out. And when I woke up, I had a panic attack. Certainly not the most graceful proposal that had ever happened. But when I finally calmed down enough to ask her why she'd want to marry a failure like me… she told me that I'd better take that back and give her a proper answer unless I wanted her to beat the monster up who made me feel that way… So obviously I said yes, and it was like a romantic scene from Mew Mew Kissie Cutie (But only the first, never the second or third). I'd never been happier… even in my dreams I never thought that Undyne would be my fiancé. Life was taking a turn for the better and maybe I could finally be happy!

…Life had never been that kind, and certainly not for me. Monsters had started falling in unusual numbers and it was like reliving my old nightmares in the Underground. I'd never come up with a cure, and all I'd managed to do was irrevocably destroy countless monster's lives. But there was nobody else who could do it. Like Undyne had said, I'd been working for days. When I wasn't assisting the others with tending to the fallen, I was in my laboratory trying to come up with a solution to all of this. Everybody was counting on me yet again despite the fact that I could count my successes on one hand. Looking back, it was as if someone knew that this would all happen when my new lab was set up to have a clinic since monsters didn't have anywhere for their sick to go.

…And everybody seemed to forget that while I was a doctor, my education wasn't focused in monster biology. I, Dr. Alphys, was an expert (not really) in the field of soulology, the study of the soul and the role of magic in the soul. I created Mettaton, extracted determination from human souls, and had been planning on starting research into creation of artificial souls. My knowledge on monster biology was limited, and while it did overlap with the study of the soul, I certainly wasn't an expert. Like I had with the other subjects, I did the basics: Checked for pathogens, damage to the soul, and interruptions in the flow of magic. Just like before, my search revealed nothing. There was no immediate hope for a cure to a phenomenon I knew nothing about.

Though unlike the previous fallen monsters, I had data on where the fallen monsters had been discovered and a pattern to where they continued to fall. With the aid of human's research (which they had graciously allowed me access to their databases as soon as they met me), I could compare my data to human epidemics… Like I suspected, something was causing the monsters to fall and it was spreading. I just didn't know what yet and my searches had revealed nothing. What I needed was a subject that we could predict would fall so I could observe the process… I could add that to my to-do list right under a qualitative research study to reveal clues about the monsters that had fallen. I definitely didn't have the time for any of this, and the pressure only built every day. I could see their families, and I had to tell them to their face every day that they weren't any better.

…As time went by, planning our wedding just seemed like it had been a distant daydream. "Well. I'm tired. We're going home." Undyne announced, hoisting me over one shoulder as if I weighed nothing. "U-Undyne! Y-You can't…!" I stuttered as I could feel my scales change red from the top of my head to the tips of my toes. She could at least not carry me like… I didn't even want to describe how. "What was that? 'Undyne, please take me home faster! I'm tired!' Why, of course Alphys! Just for you, I'll kick things up a notch!" An all too familiar diabolical grin stretched across her face as she kicked the door open, rushing at top speed out of the lab to her house. Shamefully, I placed my hands over my face, embarrassed at what onlookers would be witnessing (not that many monsters were out around midnight). But at the same time, I was strangely having fun. Perhaps a night of rest with Undyne was exactly what I needed.

* * *

It was early in the morning when I woke up again and Sans, for once, still seemed comfortable. "GOOD MORNING, SANS." I told him as quietly as I could manage and he only snored in response. Unlike Sans, I didn't sleep often as sleeping just ate up time I could be spending doing other more productive things. I felt guilty as I looked upon my comfortably sleeping brother, as this was the most restful I'd seen him be in a while since he normally was woken up from his nightmares. Unfortunately for him, I couldn't stay home all day and I regretfully extracted myself from the couch before heading to the kitchen. Before I left I grabbed a bottle of ketchup from the kitchen for Sans, setting it down near my napping brother and heading out the door to greet the morning.

Morning was always my favourite time of day, especially on the surface. For one, the sun always rose in the morning; a brilliant ball of light peeking over the horizon before taking its rightful place in the sky. Nothing like that ever happened in the Underground, and to a monster who had been locked away all that time… it was breathtaking each and every time. Another thing I liked about the morning was the fresh smell. It was as if overnight nature cleaned up to prepare for when everybody woke up the next day. Being a monster who liked things clean and organized, it struck a good chord in me. Finally, the morning was always quiet… a certain peace was present as the morning monsters went about their business under the morning sun and the others slept. While time was difficult to tell in the Underground due to a total lack of changing times and seasons… the surface definitely was a place full of time; and the morning was definitely the best time. Unfortunately, my morning would be taking a turn for the worse when my cell phone began to ring.

Disappointed by the peaceful quiet that had been broken, I quickly answered the call. "GOOD MORNING! THIS IS PAPYRUS!" I greeted cheerfully. If anything was for certain, I would definitely always be a morning monster. The monster on the other end, however, clearly wasn't. "Good, you're awake. We've got a situation on New Home outskirts, Asgore's- well… you'll get it when you see it. Can you be here in 10?" A grouchy all-business Undyne asked on the other end of the line. So much for peace and quiet. "OF COURSE! I'LL BE THERE RIGHT AWAY!" There was a click as she hung up on me. If this had something to do with Asgore, there was no doubt in my mind that something bad had happened with the humans.

Heading to the garage, I started the bromobile, pushing back the bittersweet memory of Sans in his better times. Sans made sure that my dream would come true, and he was so happy then… it was as if his dream had come true as well. It probably had given how much he was willing to…sacrifice for me. Before I could recall that fateful day, I brought the bromobile out onto the road and headed down the highway towards Ebott's outskirts.

* * *

I stopped when I saw a large group of monsters near the outskirts, shouting and holding up signs. They couldn't have… "Hey Papyrus! Get over here!" Undyne waved me over through the front of the crowd. Today she was dressed in her old Royal Guard outfit, dark plate mail with a spear in one hand… there was no doubt in my mind that this was going to be serious. "UNDYNE? WHAT'S HAPPENED?" To answer my question, she only pointed. Following her finger… I saw humans. Humans dressed in strange gowns, gloves, and masks… followed by a large wall of white antiseptic material that stretched off into the distance as it enclosed Mt. Ebott. A sign coldly stated: "QUARANTINE ZONE AHEAD."

A fear deep within sprung up as I turned, and in every direction could see the wall. This was… like the barrier. We were trapped again. I felt claustrophobic… would I never see the humans again? The beach? The library? Where would I go for help with my brother? "Snap out of it Papyrus! I called you here because I need help! As you can see, we are NOT happy about being treated like diseased savages. But we can't let these guys fight it. We… don't have a choice." She shook her head sadly before stepping closer, cupping a hand around the side of my skull. "The humans threatened Asgore into it, we're severely outnumbered and we'll die if a war happens. Hell, humans can't even fall… it's just two sides fighting for control. Disgusting." I couldn't help the sense of awe that arose as she walked to the front of the crowd, picking up a boulder and throwing it down closer before standing on it to give her height.

"HEY! All eyes to the front!" She addressed the seething crowd with a level tone, their attention captured at least for the moment. Signs lowered curiously, written in angry scrawl 'STOP THE QUARANTINE!' 'PROTECT MONSTER RIGHTS!' 'WE AREN'T ANIMALS!' "Don't think any of us are HAPPY to be stuck like this. It sucks. But this is something we have to do for the humans. Think about it; the humans have done a lot for us. They gave us a place to live. Gave us rights. Let us join them as friends. And what have we done for them?" She paused, and there were murmurs in the group of gathered monsters as they considered her words. "That's right: NOT MUCH. So we have this falling thing going around. The humans are scared that it might spread to them and they have asked ONE single thing of us. They want us to stay here until a cure is found to keep both us and them safe." The gathered monsters looked ashamed; the makeshift signs abandoned as they listened to Undyne speak. A familiar grin spread across her face, the crowd waiting eagerly for her next words. I couldn't help but mirror that grin as she continued to speak.

"So why don't we show them just how safe we can be? We'll wait here. We'll find a cure. And then they'll take the quarantine down… AND WE'LL SHOW THEM JUST WHAT THEY WERE MISSING BLOCKING US IN HERE!" She raised a triumphant fist into the air, letting out an over the top shout that the monsters gathered echoed. There were tears of joy, shouts of exuberance… A vulkin even erupted, dispersing a number of monsters. The excitement was building… there was no stopping the hype. The monsters were one in this. "GO UNDYNE!" I shouted through cupped hands. "And we are monsters! We are united, we have love, and we ALWAYS support one another! WE MOVE ON TOGETHER OR WE DON'T GO AT ALL! This is something that the humans are decidedly lacking! Who else will teach them these things but US?" There were shouts of agreement, the monsters so enraptured by Undyne's speech that it was all they knew! 'UNDYNE! UNDYNE!' they stomped and shouted in support. "So be sure to wash your…appendages. Don't share food. Uh… WHAT AM I DOING. I HAVE A SPEAR IN MY HAND. I AM A FIGHTER. DO I LOOK LIKE I HAVE THE ANSWERS? GO ASK THE STAFF AT ALPHYS LAB! THEY KNOW THAT STUFF!?" Startled by the outburst, the protesting monsters quickly scattered, presumably headed home or to 'find more information' as Undyne had stated.

I subtly pushed my jaw back into place before approaching a rather embarrassed looking Undyne. She was… so cool! She didn't need my help at all! "UNDYNE! THAT WAS SO AWESOME! YOU DIDN'T EVEN NEED ME!" I exclaimed, bouncing up and down like a baby bones with exuberance. I, the Great Papyrus, refused to be left out of the hype after all! "Hah… well… it could've turned violent at any time. You know how pissed the monsters get about being blocked in after the barrier. Hell, I'm pissed about it; but I don't get to be pissed like they do. I have to be an example." She sighed with the revelation, imparting just the slightest of the burden she carried with her position to me as she slid down to sit on top of the boulder.

"And didn't need you? 'Course I did. You're my best friend and you're just so freaking… positive. Pumps me up, you know? Plus, if things did turn violent you could've stopped them with those blue bones of yours." My eyes widened with shock as she reached out to give me a hearty pat on the shoulder. Undyne… motivated by me? I helped her? "But enough of that mushy stuff! We need more of that POSITIVITY! GO SPREAD THAT POSITIVITY TO THE OTHER MONSTERS! NYEAAAUGH!" She hopped to her feet, enthusiastically chucking a spear dangerously close to my boots. "U-UNDYNE! YES MA'AM!" I rushed over to the bromobile before any more spears could be thrown my way.

* * *

To begin my quest of spreading positivity, I resolved myself to first check on my brother who needed it the most. He would need to be moved to his room and I'd need to begin chores, after all. Only then could I begin to spread positivity to the other monsters. The drive home was uneventful, and as I walked into the house nothing seemed out of the ordinary; the stifling silence having becoming the norm months ago. What was unusual was that I couldn't feel Sans' presence nearby. It was unlike him to…well, go anywhere. "SANS? ARE YOU HERE?" I called out as I walked over to turn on the lights. The blanket was left haphazardly hanging from the couch and draped onto the floor with no sign of Sans. "BROTHER?" Becoming increasingly worried at his absence, I quickly rushed up the stairs. Maybe he was in his room? But… with how he was acting lately, it was unusual that he would've gone anywhere. He had no energy, slept all day…

A sense of dread sprung up within me as I took slow steps towards the door of Sans' room. I certainly hadn't closed his door yesterday, so he… had to be behind it. Maybe… maybe our spaghetti and MTT night helped him? I pushed back the image of Sans in his lab, a syringe of red liquid held before his slowly crumbling soul and a sense of hopelessness in his expression. We'd… moved beyond that, right? Sans wouldn't hurt himself; he promised after all and he was a monster who strived to never break promises. He's…going to be alright. I repeated that mantra in my head as I put an unsteady hand on the door knob. Twisting the knob, I pushed the door open as it relented with a creak.

The room was dark when I entered it and I squinted as my eye sockets adjusted to the dimness. Feeling along the wall, I flicked on the light switch, a suffocating feeling of fear for what I would see. There, in the center of the room, was Sans… lying in the center of a disheveled room, furniture and belongings strewn everywhere as if they had been pushed away from him. From a distance, it looked as if he was only asleep; having collapsed on the spot. The bottle of ketchup I'd left him earlier was right there with him, broken and ketchup ominously spread across the floor in a puddle. I was immediately alarmed, quickly rushing to his side despite the glass that cut into my bones painfully. I desperately hoped it was only a bad night terror, as he tended to lash out with magic when he was reminded of some of his worse timelines.

"SANS!" I shouted, scooping him into my arms and shaking him. He was limp in my embrace, his face troubled as if he were having a bad dream despite the deceptive grin that always persisted. When he didn't respond, I began to panic. Normally I would be the calm and collected monster… but when it came to my brother… "SANS! PLEASE! THIS ISN'T FUNNY!" I shouted desperately, praying it was only a prank pulled in poor taste. When he didn't wake up, I tried the only thing I thought might help. Calling what little magic I had to me, I reached out towards his soul to heal with love like I had once before… only for it to have no effect. His soul was unresponsive; the magic bouncing off it like a pebble in a current. It simply appeared before me, floating gently above his body in response to the magic; a dull dark blue inverted heart with no familiar glow or hum of magic.

I always feared the day that Sans wouldn't wake up at all. He… wasn't going to wake up, was he? With the realization setting in, tears of grief formed in my eyesockets. "BROTHER! PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME HERE ALONE!" I sobbed into his jacket mournfully, my thoughts sluggish with panic overtaking them. I… had to call for help. Someone could help me. Doing the only thing I knew how in the moment, I took my cell phone shakily from a pocket in my battle suit and dialed Undyne's number.

…Gently rocking my brother back and forth like a fallen child, I waited for her to answer. Ring. Ring. Ring. I was beginning to lose hope…until she picked up on the final ring. "It's Undyne, what do you want? I'm busy right now!" A stressed out sounding Undyne questioned on the other end. "U-UNDYNE! I NEED HELP! IT'S SANS! I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO! PLEASE HELP HIM! SANS, SANS! PLEASE WAKE UP!" I babbled into the reception, tears streaming down my face and my bones uncontrollably shaking as I begged Sans to come back. I still hadn't accepted… that my brother, Sans, hero of the Underground who sacrificed everything he had for me and the others had fallen. And with the way things were looking, he'd probably never wake up.


	3. Chapter 3: Have Hope

Chapter 3 – Have Hope

To the guest who asked how often I update: Usually weekly, sooner if I'm in a writing mood and have a good playlist going.

* * *

In all the time I'd been friends with Papyrus, from the first time I ever met the knucklehead to even the worst of times… he was always the monster who would remain calm. He'd step up in the face of adversity and do the right thing, bringing optimism and warmth at the same time without even breaking a sweat. He was… the last monster I ever expected to break down. So when he called me after the quarantine protest, sheer panic in his voice over his brother, I dropped everything to go to him. Hell, I even threw papers back in an official human's face regarding the quarantine. We monsters have priorities, and human's bullshit documentation for everything could wait.

I couldn't move fast enough, summoning a number of spears in my wake in case someone had hurt them. Being heroes was both a blessing and a curse, after all. We had made our share of friends, beloved in the eyes of the monsters… and hatred in the eyes of our enemies from the many humans who despised our presence. It wasn't uncommon that we would receive death threats, as the humans may not have known HOW we got out but they know WHO got us out.

When I assigned Papyrus to watch over his brother… I had a reason. I knew that the brothers would work best together, the two best monsters to protect each other in case someone took their hatred a little too far. But I never expected… I didn't think anybody in their right mind would attack them. Papyrus wasn't prepared for that. Thoughts raced through my mind: It was my job to protect them! Did I send them to their deaths? I should've kept more of the Royal Guard on patrol! If someone had hurt them, I'd never escape the guilt over my failure.

To my benefit and discontent, what had happened wasn't a failure of mine… but I will never forget what I saw that day when I walked into the bone brother's house, up the stairs into Sans' room where I could hear Papyrus' sobs. I was relieved when I saw the room free of monster dust, but it was short lived. "Papyrus? What happened? WHO HURT YOU?!" I growled, taking an enraged step into the room. I was more than ready to kick the ASS of the monster that traumatized Papyrus to this extent. I never would've expected that Papyrus' tearful gaze would turn vicious, orange magic racing along his shaking form as a volley of bone attacks came my way. "STAY AWAY FROM MY BROTHER!" He shouted at me, blind fear and panic present in his expression as he hugged his limp brother close.

"Holy shit, Papyrus!" I swore, taking one of my summoned spears and using it as a shield to block the bone magic. The bones bounced off with a twang, a fear rather than malicious intent present in the magic that was used making them harmless. He was just trying to keep distance in his blind panic. I sheepishly realized that I'd taken the wrong approach, being more of a monster for action than negotiation. Quickly dropping the spear, I held my hands at my sides in an attempt to de-escalate the situation. "I'm not here to hurt your brother. I just want to help, see? No spears." I waited until his posture relaxed, his expression shifting to one of surprise, and then to misery as the tears began anew. "I'M SORRY UNDYNE… I JUST… PLEASE HELP HIM!" He sobbed; a raw grief evident in his voice. Taking that as my cue to approach, I took slow steps toward the pair. It was then that I could sense that something was seriously wrong with Sans. As I neared, I could feel no magic in his soul and it was a void that was all too familiar in recent times. No… he couldn't have…

Slowly, I reached a hand close enough to Sans that I could invoke his soul. I gasped at the sight that awaited me: his normally vibrant blue soul was dull and lifeless. Sans had fallen. "No…" I backed away in shock as Papyrus continued to sob and babble incoherently to his fallen brother. With Sans having fallen… this would change everything. A Hero of the Underground had fallen. One of the strongest of all monsters. With this development… nobody would be safe. The protest earlier was just a sign of what was to come.

If even the strongest could fall… There would be panic. We couldn't keep this a secret, but if word got out… I feared for Alphys, who was already working her hardest on a cure. What… was I supposed to do? Typically, fallen monsters in the Underground… would die after a time. Though none of the fallen monsters HAD died yet, instead remaining dormant, it was a very real concern. As a species, we could be facing extinction as a result of this widespread falling phenomenon. Worse, we were completely alone in dealing with it; the humans withdrew their support as soon as trouble arose leaving Alphys carrying the fate of our entire species on her nerdy, anime loving shoulders. And even then, she was working herself to death on a topic she had little experience.

But I had more pressing concerns; I had to be the one to talk sense into Papyrus. To pick up the pieces of a monster who may be irrevocably damaged. Of all monsters, why did it have to happen to poor, innocent Papyrus? Fate was cruel indeed. "Papyrus, I need you to listen to me." I kept my tone as calm as possible, kneeling at his side at a safe distance. He seemed to barely hear me in his grief. "Your brother has fallen down. We need to-" He abruptly raised his head, his tearful gazed fixed on mine as he shouted: "NO! SANS IS GOING TO WAKE UP, HE ALWAYS DOES! SANS WOULDN'T LEAVE ME!" Denial; excellent. I was definitely not the monster for this job, and it took all of my control not to drag Papyrus by the arm to the lab despite his protests. "Fine. How about the three of us go visit Alphys? She will help find a way to wake Sans up." I offered grudgingly, standing up and heading to the door. He seemed reluctant, but eventually relented; silently following behind me with his brother held close. And he was just as uncomfortably silent the entire trip there.

* * *

"Over here, Papyrus." Alphys gestured to a bed not unlike the one I brought the rabbit lady to just yesterday. Reluctantly, I set my brother down. "T-Thanks." She quickly hooked up his soul to monitors just like I'd seen numerous times before, her expression unusually grim as she went about her business. I wasn't surprised when the monitors displayed a flat green line, just as before. "Well, I'm, uh… going to go back to work. If you need me… well… you know how to find me." Undyne explained awkwardly, excusing herself from the room. I wanted to thank her but… I just couldn't find the words. She had dropped everything to help me and all I'd done was nearly hurt her… yet I couldn't thank her.

With Undyne's absence, the atmosphere was tense as just myself and Alphys remained. I... felt lost. With my brother gone, everything just… lost meaning. I desperately wanted to ask Alphys how her work on the cure was going and when I'd see Sans again. But I… I was too nice to do that. Just by looking at her as she tapped on the monitor I could tell she wasn't well; her appearance was disheveled at best and the bags under her eyes suggested that she hadn't slept well in a long time. Alphys didn't need extra pressure on her and the monsters visiting family already did that on a daily basis. She was doing her best and no questions of mine would do anything to help her. The best I could do would be to not make a fuss like the others.

If I couldn't ask questions… well, I wanted to cry but that wouldn't bring Sans back. And Sans wouldn't want me to mourn him; and crying never fixed anything. After all, he didn't mourn me forever when the human… did away with me in the Underground. He took his fate into his own hands and did something about it. Maybe it was time I stepped up and became a hero like my older brother Sans. I could take my destiny into my own hands and help find a cure! The Great Papyrus, hero of the surface! I would be every monster's friend and saviour! I could… well, maybe my priorities had changed since the Underground. I'd have to consider what exactly I wanted after I become a hero.

"S-So um… would you be willing to a-answer some q-questions? It m-might help me with the cure." Alphys asked sheepishly, wringing her clawed hands with the question as if it burdened her to ask it of me. "OF COURSE, DR. ALPHYS!" She seemed surprised at my sudden change in attitude, before quickly pulling a nearby stool over to sit on. It was as if she expected me to continue to unreasonably mourn my brother longer. Tears wouldn't bring Sans back. "So… what d-did Sans l-look like when you found him?" She asked hesitantly as I sat down on the end of Sans' bed. It hadn't been long since I'd found Sans but… it still felt like a blur.

I took a moment to picture what I'd seen again before I told her how I found Sans collapsed in his room. It was as if he had just gotten up from the couch and walked to his room before he fell. He even had the ketchup I'd left for him… and all of the furniture was pushed back. Alphys listened intently to my story, nodding at certain intervals and eventually pulling out a notepad from her lab coat to scribble some notes down. "W-Was he acting strange… before he fell?" I froze at the question, immediately recalling Sans' experience with 'depression'. It probably wasn't relevant to him falling and I'd been keeping it a secret. But… with him having fallen, it didn't really matter anymore. I told her that Sans had been doing well up until a couple months ago when he suddenly became 'depressed'. Until then, he had only had nightmares about his experiences in the Underground… though occasionally broke things with magic during them.

Her gaze became sympathetic partway through my speech, almost regretful. "I-I'm sorry, Papyrus…" She apologized as she finished up her notes. I appreciated the sentiment but I had been keeping this to myself for a reason. "SANS DIDN'T WANT US TO WORRY ABOUT HIM. HE STILL WOULDN'T." I stood up, forcing a smile and a pose as my scarf fluttered behind me with the action. My proverbial heart may have been broken, but my soul would live on. After all, The Great Papyrus never gives up hope!

"Y-You're right… thanks for your time. A-And… um… I'm going to be working on a machine that might help. After it's done… maybe you can help me test it?" She offered sheepishly as she tucked away her notes once again. This was exactly what I needed to hear. "DEFINITELY! AND IF THERE'S ANYTHING I CAN DO TO HELP, PLEASE LET ME KNOW!" She walked to the curtain, pausing to give me a sad smile at my words. "M-Maybe tomorrow, Papyrus. D-Don't forget to take care of y-yourself too." And with that she was gone.

* * *

Taking care of myself… well, some butterscotch-cinnamon pie would cheer anybody up. So I walked to the entrance to the Underground ruins, making my way down the ladder carefully. Fortunately the room with the flowers seemed empty and so I walked across it… But before I could leave, Flowey appeared in front of me. "Why the long face? Did someone DIE?!" The flower asked with a grim satisfaction, its face twisting into a horrible visage. A shiver ran down my spine with its appearance, something seeming unnervingly off with the flower in this visit. "SORRY, FLOWER FRIEND. SANS TOLD ME NOT TO TALK TO YOU." I explained, stepping around the scary flower. If I was lucky, it wouldn't follow me.

To my disappointment, it only appeared in front of me once again. "Sans did? Well, that didn't stop you before did it?" There was something sickeningly knowing in its expression, as if it was prying for answers it already knew. It eyed me like a cat watching a mouse play, a predator taking amusement in the antics of its prey. "I NEED TO GO. I HAVE A MEETING WITH TORIEL." I stepped past it, dashing as far as I could from it when a circle of bullets surrounded me. I skidded to a stop just before my soul made contact with the magic, my sense of fear becoming justified in that moment. It appeared that I was having a very bad day, almost humorously so. If I wasn't so afraid, I'd probably have laughed myself to tears. "I thought we were friends? Surely you have the time to tell a friend about how Sans fell down?" The flower appeared again, a toothy malicious grin spreading across its face with the revelation. "DON'T COME ANY CLOSER!" I shouted, using my own special form of blue magic to summon a blue bone straight through the flower. If it didn't move, it wouldn't be harmed by the magic. I didn't know how the flower found that out, but I certainly didn't want to hear what it had to say given that it did.

"Oh, I heard it through the grapevine you could say." Flowey elaborated, completely unphased by the blue bone. To my dismay, the flower moved from the blue bone purposely, magic that would normally cause great damage with its placement left not a single scratch on the flower as it sunk into the ground to reappear on the other side of the bullet circle. A smug smile stretched across its face, danger in its eyes as it dared me to try that trick again. "So friend, how did it feel to know that your brother would never wake up again? Did you suffer?" A sadistic smile replaced the smug one at the word, eagerly waiting for my response.

But I wouldn't give it the satisfaction, as I knew that this terrible creature just wanted to see ME suffer now. "MY BROTHER WILL WAKE UP. I'M GOING TO MAKE SURE OF IT! I BELIEVE IN HIM!" I declared, holding on to hope as my soul pulsed a bright orange in response to the intensity of the hope I possessed. Flowey's expression turned from surprise to anger in seconds. "FOOL! Don't you know that HOPE never saved anybody? No matter how much I hope, I will REMAIN a flower. Chara will NEVER come back. Your brother will NEVER wake up." The flower spat the word with venom as if it had wronged it in the past. It appeared I had hit a weak spot, and I backed up slowly as the flowers face twisted into a monstrous visage of a skull.

As expected, the flower was truly a sad creature indeed. I may not have understood what it was saying, but inside it was crying out for help. "AS LONG AS THERE IS A FUTURE, WE STILL HAVE HOPE! WE CAN'T SEE WHAT WE MIGHT ACCOMPLISH IN THE FUTURE. MAYBE IF YOU JUST GAVE ME THE CHANCE I COULD H-" A haphazardly fired ball of magic cut me off as I dove to avoid it. "STOP! You can't say that now!" It exclaimed with a pained cry, reeling as its petaled head faced the ground…

…And then it was laughing; A maniacal, laugh of a creature gone insane. "Yes, you're right. I will. After all in this world…" Its head raised, eyes suddenly bright red and bright grin returned. "IT'S KILL OR BE KILLED!" With those words, the circle of bullets slowly began to close in on my soul. "PLEASE FLOWER FRIEND! I DO NOT WANT TO FIGHT!" I pleaded on deaf ears, hands at my side in mercy as I walked forward to keep my soul away from the dangerous magic. With the malicious intent this creature possessed, there was no doubt in my mind that an attack on my soul would be grievous. _You were right, Sans…_ I closed my eyesockets as the bullets closed in around my soul, waiting for the inevitable to come.

"Be gone, terrible creature! How could you trouble poor Papyrus so?" That voice..! When I opened my eyes, Toriel in her glory was standing before me, fire in her hands as she stood in opposition to the terrible flower. "Ngh!" The flower's face changed to one of alarm, then to horror as it ducked into the ground to avoid becoming conflagrated by Toriel's fire magic. "QUEEN TORIEL! I'M SAVED!" I let out a cheer, raising my arms in the air in jubilation. "I am sorry I didn't realize that you needed help sooner. I didn't know that such a terrible creature lived in the ruins. But was that not your flower friend?" She asked; her hands clasped in front of her. "THE FLOWER DIDN'T TURN OUT TO BE VERY NICE." I admitted, simply relieved that I hadn't been killed right then and there. Sans was right, and I definitely couldn't save him if I was dead. "That is a shame. Hopefully it won't return. Now, how about you come in? I was just baking a pie…" She chatted to me happily as she let me through the ruins to her quaint house near Snowdin.

* * *

Just as my previous visit a few days ago, Toriel served golden flower tea and butterscotch-cinnamon pie. In one of my visits I asked her about her choice of dishes, as she seemed to be very fond of pie and tea. She explained to me that she was very lonely in the ruins and the tea and pie pair reminded her of her family during happier times. Since then, she had seemingly gotten lonelier as many of the monsters in the ruins quickly left for the surface as soon as the barrier broke. That left the motherly goat alone in her house with all of the reminders of children long since gone and books she had memorized by heart. I'm glad that Sans told me about her soon after the barrier broke, because without my visits… she probably would be entirely alone. No monster should be alone, especially if the Great Papyrus could do something about it!

"Papyrus, I was thinking that you could bring some pie back for your brother. After all, you said that he had been sleeping too much… there's nothing better than a bit of sugar to put a spring in his step!" She smiled warmly with this, her intentions only good with the suggestion. Clearly she hadn't seen the news that would no doubt be spreading across New Home soon. Though, she didn't have a TV so even then… she might not know about the affairs of the surface. "TORIEL… I HAVE TO TELL YOU SOMETHING, ABOUT SANS ACTUALLY." I admitted, and she perked up immediately. "Why, of course! Please, go on." She sipped her tea, waiting expectantly. Little did she know, what she was about to hear would change everything.

"SANS… FELL DOWN TODAY." I confessed, tears gathering in my eyesockets even still. She nearly spit out her tea, gracefully recovering as she covered her mouth with a napkin. "W-What? But… Sans isn't that old is he?" So she really didn't know… I hadn't told her before as I knew it would only sadden her to hear. Perhaps it was time she knew the truth, as hiding it before only caused more issues. "N-NO… MONSTERS HAVE BEEN FALLING ON THE SURFACE FOR A COUPLE MONTHS NOW. WE DON'T KNOW WHY YET, AND ALPHYS IS DOING HER BEST TO TRY AND FIGURE IT OUT, BUT SHE'S STRUGGLING." Her eyes widened in disbelief, her expression shocked as my words sunk in. Setting down her napkin, she stood and walked into the kitchen without a word.

"Q-QUEEN TORIEL?" I stuttered fearfully; more than ready to stand up to follow her. Did I upset her? I hadn't intended to burden her as I knew she was still grieving the loss of her family and the latest child whose soul we used to break the barrier. But my worry proved unnecessary as she emerged moments later with a container full of pie and a thermos seemingly of tea. "Please, you must show me to Alphys' new lab, Papyrus. It would be irresponsible of me to let disagreements of old get in the way of helping our kingdom in its time of need." She requested hopefully, offering the pie to me. I took it gratefully, eyesockets widening in surprise. Never in my wildest dreams did I expect the queen to offer her help to our cause. She seemed to have an aversion to the other monsters after all, something about how she disagreed with their methods and felt it better to disappear than cause conflict. "OF COURSE! DO YOU KNOW A WAY TO HELP THE FALLEN MONSTERS?" I nearly tripped over my words with the speed I asked the question, eager to know if she could help Sans. But if she had the answers, it would've been too easy. Fate was not that kind to me today.

Her expression softened, a sad smile gracing her features. "Regretfully, no. But I have two hands, strong magic, and a lifetime of knowledge that would do more in assisting Alphys than mourning in the Ruins." She explained, a warm feeling of hope spreading at her words. Like I'd told the flower… as long as we have a future, we have hope. Together, with hope… we might just bring about a happier tomorrow.


	4. Chapter 4: Just a Theory

Chapter 4 – Just a Theory

Author's note: Sorry for the delay, I know I said last time that I update weekly. Unfortunately, I'm at a busy part of my semester and I've been writing paper after paper. I haven't had the time to work on this as much as I want. But I hope to get back to updating weekly as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience!

* * *

For all my work, all I, Dr. Alphys the Royal Scientist, had just a single unproven theory on the fallen monsters regarding its pathology. Worse, it was a deduction that a child probably could've made themselves. After all; there was no way that the monsters who had fallen could last as long as they had without magic. Somewhere, somehow... there had to be magic present in the souls of the monsters who had fallen. Perhaps my tools just weren't sensitive enough to pick it up... or maybe I was just wrong. I'd have to run more tests or figure out a more sensitive test for magic. But… I was pretty safe in saying that the monsters who had fallen had some source of magic in their soul.

In humans, the soul is the birthplace and storage of determination. Though my information is limited on how and where this 'determination' is produced, some humans possess more for one reason or another. From my studies, (and some help from Sans), we discovered that humans with high concentrations of determination can alter the timelines. Furthermore, the human with the most determination is the one who obtains the power to jump backwards or entirely rewind the timeline. …Though we aren't currently certain which human possess this ability, I digress, this is a problem for another day.

Some monsters possess determination, though the number remains very few and the amount they possess is very small… Curiously, monsters that possess determination seem to have colour in their souls, distinguishing them from others. As Sans has a coloured soul, it became clear to me that determination wasn't a factor that could prevent this falling which was much different than my findings in the Underground. When administering determination to fallen monsters in the Underground before they turned to dust, they awoke and returned to normal for a time…. Then, if determination isn't keeping the monsters alive, there must be something else. Magic.

To understand my line of thinking, one must understand the role of the soul in monster biology. The soul of a monster works much the same way that the heart does in a human; instead of blood, the soul circulates magic through a system of pathways in the monster body to give it form. As a monster ages, these pathways become burned out through the burdens of life; feelings once strong leading to a need for rest or a peace with the lived life. When this occurs, the magic transmitted by the soul eventually stops entirely and the monster falls; similar to the situation we were facing in New Home presently. Only, with the monsters who fell in the Underground… their body eventually crumbles into dust due to the lack of magic to sustain form. This was the end of the cycle of life for all monsters, as one who lives must one day die.

…Since none of the monsters who had fallen had turned to dust as of yet, there was still hope for a cure. Something was sustaining them or they would eventually turn to dust. And as long as their bodies remain… it is possible that their minds may still be active. With this line of thinking, I drew up blueprints for a machine that might be able to transport a monster into the mind of another. If we are able to enter the mind of a monster that had fallen, we might be able to gain some insight into what is causing the monsters to fall. But… that was just a theory.

With a sigh I went over the blueprints yet another time. Part of me wanted to just crumple them up; after all, the chances of the machine working or providing any information whatsoever were slim to none. Plus, with me being the one to build it… something would probably go wrong anyway. After all, I had a track record of failures… what's one more to the pile? I'll never truly be forgiven for my failures and they will weigh me down until the day I die. I was never meant to find peace and acceptance... was I? I was beginning to wonder more and more… maybe it would just be better if I fell too. I'm never going to be able to find a cure. The monsters misplaced their trust by choosing me to be their saviour. At least if I fell… then maybe a real saviour could step up and figure out a cure.

…A knock on the door of my workshop broke me out of my negative line of thought. At least if I was still here, I may as well continue to do my best. "Y-Yes? C-Come in." I stuttered, hopping off of my stool and walking to the door. A whimsun which I recognized as a member of my evening staff poked its head in cautiously. "A mail carrier just delivered this… it's addressed to you. He said it was priority mail so I brought it here quickly…" It explained sheepishly, extending a very official looking envelope which I accepted. "T-Thanks!" But by the time I got the words out, the monster was gone. With a wry smile I wondered if the whimsun was more awkward than I was; it was practically a feat all things considered.

Grateful for the distraction, I sat back down at my workbench and examined the envelope. I hadn't expected the delivery and it looked too official to be just a regular letter. On the front it stated in plain text: 'To: Alphys, From: Asgore' with the address of my lab and the address of the location Asgore was staying near the human government. Hesitantly, I opened the envelope with one claw. If it was from Asgore, I was certain that it couldn't be good news. The contents seemed to be documentation printed on thick paper. Flattening them out on my desk, I adjusted my glasses with one hand and began to read… All it took was the title for me to recoil in horror. 'Documentation for Release of Research Safeguards and Monster Experimentation'.

I wanted to cry. With this, he was… He wanted me to… My vision blurred at the thought. I'd never been restricted to begin with in my experimentation. Coming to the surface added another level of complexity to my research but… still… The king was giving me the go ahead to take extreme measures. He wanted me to solve this no matter what it took. And he was putting himself on the line to do so. With this, they couldn't blame me… But he was putting too much trust in me. I could… hurt someone! In fact, with this… I'd have to… An ideal subject immediately sprung to mind, which only increased my disgust in myself. If the machine worked, I wouldn't have to but… How could he expect me to…

"Hey, Alphys! You in here?" I heard Undyne call and quickly shoved the documents into a nearby folder. It was all the time I had before the door slammed open again. "Just stopped by to see how you were, you have vis-" She stopped abruptly as she noticed my stunned expression. My clawed hands were still probably shaking; I hadn't gotten over the shock of what I'd just seen. But it was better she didn't know. "You look like you've seen a ghost. And I haven't seen Napstablook around." She looked concerned, walking over to my desk. She looked as though she expected a response. But I didn't have one to give. "U-Um… it's nothing? Who…?" I prompted, finding my voice after a moment's hesitation. My day was getting more exciting by the second, and I wasn't really the type of monster who enjoyed that.

"You wouldn't believe it if I told you, come on! You're going to be so surprised." A grin stretched across her face as she grabbed my hand, forcibly pulling me along with her. I was just grateful she hadn't pressed any further; I wasn't ready to have that conversation with anybody yet. I just hoped it wouldn't come to that.

* * *

"Papyrus, is there not humans in New Home?" Toriel asked me as we waited for Alphys near the fallen ward. In our journey through New Home to the lab, we hadn't encountered a single human, but that wasn't unusual, especially given the quarantine. What was unusual was the volume of monsters coming in to ask about the cure. Undyne had ushered us in quickly when we arrived, as she had moved to the clinic to ward off monsters demanding answers about the cure after the news of Sans falling. She couldn't believe that the queen was here, as she'd vanished soon after the final confrontation with the human. "WELL… NOT MANY, NO. THEY DID QUARANTINE US TODAY, AFTER ALL BUT EVEN STILL… THEY ALWAYS SEEMED WARY OF US, BUT I DON'T GET WHY! MONSTERS ARE NOTHING BUT KIND!" I explained, as it truly baffled me too that there were always so few humans around.

Even before the monsters began falling, humans had kept their distance. Monsters had been much more interested in integrating than the humans ever had been. Unfortunately, if Toriel had expected to see humans she would find herself disappointed. Nowadays, both groups kept their distance and it would only get worse with the quarantine. "That's truly a shame." She seemed as disappointed as I was. It felt as though we were the only two monsters who wished that we could mix with the humans. After all, both groups had so much to teach each other. And what human wouldn't want a bullet pattern birthday card?

"Oh! Greetings, Dr. Alphys!" Toriel greeted warmly as Alphys and Undyne approached. Alphys looked no better than when I'd seen her earlier, exhausted as ever, and she didn't seem surprised as she noticed the queen. "H-Hi…" She greeted meekly, shuffling awkwardly as Undyne pulled her over. "Told you! Can you believe that the Queen is standing in your lab?" Undyne exclaimed excitedly to a shy Alphys. Toriel, on the other hand, let out a good-natured chuckle. "I'm not the Queen any longer, I left that behind when I left Asgore. But thank you! You may call me Toriel, instead." She explained with a bright smile that seemed to enrapture all three of us. She was just… so amazing! So cool and I'm a good judge of cool!

…But we had purpose in being here, and we were getting off track. "DR. ALPHYS, TORIEL WISHES TO-" A gasp of shock from Toriel cut me off. Three heads whipped in her direction. "Ms. Alphys! You look as though you haven't slept a wink in days!" She grabbed the pie from my hands abruptly, walking over to Alphys and shoving the container into her hands. I couldn't help the feeling of loss that snuck its way into me at the sight of emptiness in my gloved hands. "Oh dear, let's get you cleaned up. A lady cannot forget to take care of herself, even when working for others!" Toriel insisted as she pushed Alphys along aimlessly back into the lab, effectively stealing her away from Undyne. Both of us watched in bafflement, and I couldn't help my jaw as it dropped. "Well. That happened." Undyne stated, scratching the back of her head awkwardly. "THE PIE…. NYOO HOO HOO!" A single tear made its way down my skull.

A piercing ringing from Undyne's phone broke the awkward silence. Popping my jaw back in place, I watched as she answered. "Hello?...What? Are you kidding me? 01, is 02 there with you?...You're telling me WHAT? DO YOU REALIZE YOU TWO ARE THE ONLY ROYAL GUARD MEMBERS THERE? DEAL WITH THE SITUATION. NO- DON'T JOIN IN! HEY! I'M TALKING TO YOU!" With a click and a resigned groan she hung up, facing me with a grim expression. "We need to get to the border, now. He's back." And without giving me a single chance to respond, she walked over to me and slung me over one shoulder as if I weighed nothing. If I wasn't so horrified, I'd probably be impressed.

"NYEH? UNDYNE! Y-YOU CAN'T DO THIS! I KNOW I'M CHARMING AND ALL BUT I THINK IT'S BETTER IF WE REMAIN PLATONIC!" I shouted protests as she dashed straight out the door toward the border at record speed. "You're such a BONEHEAD! I'm GETTING MARRIED, REMEMBER? AND THIS IS NECESSARY! YOU'RE TOO SLOW, AND WE NEED TO BE THERE NOW! TOUGHEN UP, NYUAAAGH!" With a war cry that would put many to shame, she increased her pace. Though I didn't have a stomach, I was beginning to feel nauseous as the scenery raced by. "NYOOO…" I groaned, pulling my scarf up over my eyesockets as it flapped viciously in the air current produced by her speed.

* * *

When we arrived at the border, Undyne unceremoniously dropped me on the ground in the middle of the crowd that had gathered before stomping out further herself. Unlike the crowd that had gathered earlier, this one seemed more…frenzied. And colourful. They stood on the sides of the road as if they were waiting for something. I stood up, walking out into the road to investigate further. RG-01 and RG-02 stood on the very edge, shouting and holding signs much different than the ones I saw earlier. A handful of glitter went up into the air. Could it be…?

Without warning, the sterile white gate blocking the road between the monsters and humans swung open, revealing a crowd of humans on the other side that was just as frenzied, if not as colourful, and parted similarly to the monsters. Down the middle of the road, a bright pink float with some figures on it slowly made its way towards us. Was that…? "Hey! Stop blocking the way!" A rough pair of arms pulled me from the middle of the road into the crowd gathered on one side. "NYEH? HEY! WHAT'S GOING ON?" I demanded, fuming as I turned to find the monster who had so rudely displaced me, the almost-a-royal-guard-hero-of-the-underground-protector!

Unfortunately, the culprit had mysteriously vanished, the nearby monsters completely ignoring me as a crescendo of cheering erupted. Turning to see what had stirred up the monsters, my non-existent heart jumped with shock at the appearance of Mettaton EX nearing on the pink float. My gloved hands unconsciously made their way to my cheekbones with excitement as I let out a scream, joining in with the crowd. I couldn't believe it; another opportunity to see the sexy rectangle in the metal! I hadn't gotten the chance to speak to him before given the seriousness of the situation, but if he was back I might get the chance! I never missed a single episode of his show! He was my idol, and the great Papyrus was… hopelessly unworthy to speak with the greatness of MTT! But I could still try!

"Oh… I'm sorry everybody…" Napstablook sighed, standing beside Mettaton on the float accompanied by Shyren. With the barrier down, the three abruptly formed a show group and began to tour the surface. "Don't apologize, Blooky! We have the right to remain silent! We're being deported, after all! Ridiculous! Robots can't fall, and neither can ghosts!" He crossed his metallic arms, posing dramatically as the crowd erupted into cheers again. "But you're not being silent, Metta…" Shyren mumbled quietly from the side. Her observation fell on deaf ears as Mettaton began to wave to his fans accompanied with the occasional blown kiss.

As soon as the float made it past the threshold, the gate closed behind it as the humans shouted in dismay behind it. "Sorry, darlings! You're going to have to take it to your government, they deported me!" Mettaton called to his human fans just as the gate shut. He had been extremely well received by the human population, his shows only growing in popularity with the addition of a human audience. He spent time touring the surface, appearing on talkshows, and presenting his journey and his cousin's journey to the world as they toured.

With Mettaton safely back in new home; the monsters became even more excited. After all, Mettaton would be touring in New Home for a while! How could they panic about falling when such a rare opportunity presented itself? After all, with Mettaton touring the surface, he had very little time to return to his roots in New Home. It was a rare but welcome opportunity, and the monsters recognized it. Gifts of flowers and other paraphernalia were thrown at the float as it made its way. "Hello, New Home! I'm happy to be home!" He called to his adoring fans.

As he neared, despite being in the front row, I joined in the cheering as I jumped up and down and waved my arms. "WE LOVE YOU, METTATON!" I called to the star, expecting my shout to be drowned out with the volume of the other monsters nearby. To my surprise, his gaze met mine. The world stopped right then and there. I could feel my eyesockets widen in shock, a burning blush painting my cheekbones. He LOOKED at me! My idol was LOOKING at me! The moment felt as though it lasted minutes, though it was only probably a few second in duration. After a moment of surprise, a well-practiced smile made its way across Mettaton's face. "Why, if it isn't Papyrus! Come here, darling." With no warning, metallic arms extended, tearing me straight from the crowd and setting me down beside Mettaton on the float.

If I wasn't already overwhelmed, I was definitely overwhelmed at where I was standing. Monsters in the crowd would probably kill for the opportunity to be where I was at that moment. Fortunately, I was too shocked by Mettaton to notice the murderous gazes directed at me from the crowd of MTT fans. Napstablook and Shyren looked confused, but seemingly knew better than to question the star himself in his antics. "I-I…" I stuttered, blabbering nonsense as the robot let out a laugh. "How have you been? It's been a while, honey. I heard about your brother, truly a tragedy." One arm slung over my shoulder, pulling me closer to the flamboyant robot as words continued to fail me. Fortunately, he didn't seem to notice my shaking, continuing on as if it were all part of the plan. "But you know when things go wrong? When you hit rock bottom, all you can go is up! As a star, I know this best!" He straightened, keeping his arm around my shoulders as he turned us to address the crowd.

"This here is Papyrus! He's my number one fan. His brother fell down today, aww… He needs some MTT-style cheering up! Let's hear a round of applause for Papyrus: One of the Heroes of the Underground! Raise the roof, darlings!" At Mettaton's behest, the crowd began to cheer just as wildly for me. Respect, admiration… I was so… popular! Was this what it felt like to be a star? I was blown away; everything I'd always wanted was happening right in that moment. In fact, this could be both tbe best and worst day of my life. It was a day that never ended, action packed when I didn't really need it. I was pretty overwhelmed. And this was the last straw; the Great Papyrus could take no more and my vision darkened before I collapsed right in front of everybody.


End file.
